This blog is dedicated to bringing World War II era documents to the general public, with an overall focus on armoured warfare.
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Wednesday, 2 August 2017

Bulletproof Vests

The People's Commissariat of Light Manufacturing must sew together the plates and deliver the bulletproof vests to the GBTU before November 30th, 1944.

The GBTU (comrade Fedorenko) must test the bulletproof vests in the army before January 20th, 1945, and report to the GOKO with conclusions regarding the need of mass production.

Report date

Completion of the decree

December 1st, 1944

Armoured components will be ready at factory #50 on December 15th
and delivered to the People’s Commissariat of Light Manufacturing for sewing.

January 1st, 1945

The armoured components did not pass trials. The NKTP did not
complete the GOKO’s decree in time, and comrade Beria was informed in letter
#525102 sent on December 12th, 1944.

As of December 23rd, 1944, only 37 sets were delivered to
the Sverdlovsk People’s Commissariat of Light Manufacturing.

February 1st, 1945

920 sets of bulletproof plates were made by January 28th,
1945. 1300 units were expected. Sewing is going slowly. Only 200 units were
sewn.

March 1st, 1945

An experimental batch of 1400 units was finished. A transport was
ordered for March 4th, 1945, to take them to the Self Propelled
Artillery Training Center. The vests will be sent to the front lines from the
training center.

April 1st, 1945

1404 bulletproof vests were finished and sent to the
Self Propelled Artillery Training Center.

May 1st, 1945

The bulletproof vests were sent to the Belorussian and Ukrainian tank
camps, as well as the Self Propelled Artillery Training Center (Pushkino).
Currently, the vests are located in the specified camps.

Officers were sent out to observe the vests in combat conditions. Due
to completion of the war, it is unlikely that the bulletproof vests will be
sent to the army.